17: Medieval Monastic Life Boundary Maintenancethe well-preserved ruins of Fountains Abbey, founded...
Transcript of 17: Medieval Monastic Life Boundary Maintenancethe well-preserved ruins of Fountains Abbey, founded...
17 Medieval Monastic Life Page 1
Investigating World History Howard Brady, Ignacio Carral, Marion Brady
17: Medieval Monastic Life Boundary Maintenance
Insiders, Outsiders, System Boundaries
Most organized human groups (social systems) make a clear distinction between
“insiders” (members) and “outsiders.” The boundary between the two—sometimes just a
difference in ideas, sometimes a way of dressing or other action pattern, sometimes a
physical barrier of some sort (or all three)—is carefully maintained by the group.
The boundaries between “inside” and “outside” are rarely completely closed. Groups will
usually interact with other groups, and there will be ways of varying difficulty for
outsiders to join and become insiders or group members.
To make sure boundaries are respected, each member is pressured (with rewards and
punishments) to fit in with the group’s ways of acting and its values and beliefs.
Understanding any social system requires an understanding of the group’s
boundary-maintaining actions and social controls.
Overview
A century or two after the Christian church
formed, some believers chose to give up the
possibility of marriage and family, and
dedicated themselves to religious lives of
prayer and worship. Men became monks or
“brothers,” and women became nuns or
“sisters.” Most lived in communities, the men
in monasteries or abbeys, the women in
separate abbeys, nunneries or convents. Their
ways of life also usually included study,
physical labor of some kind, and service to
others in their group or to outsiders in need of
help.
Original Material copyright ©2016 by Marion Brady and Howard Brady. This material may be downloaded and
printed at no cost by teachers or mentors for use with their own students only. All other rights reserved.
Insider and outsider—a medieval monk buying
parchment: ►
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manuscript_culture
Page 2 Investigating World History
Investigation: Boundary Maintenance in a Medieval Monastery
Living in an organized community requires rules. Most Catholic monasteries and convents
still follow a set of rules set out about 530 CE by St. Benedict of Nursia. Benedict founded
monasteries in what’s now Italy, most notably the abbey at Monte Cassino on a hilltop
between Rome and Naples. Several important parts of the Rule of St. Benedict are
included below and on following pages.1
Working with others, identify and list (1) differences between outsiders and insiders, (2)
kinds of boundaries at the monastery and the ways they are maintained, and (3) steps in
converting an outsider to an insider. (Note that boundaries can be ways of thinking,
ways of acting, and/or physical barriers.)
1 Adapted from http://legacy.fordham.edu/Halsall/source/rul-benedict.asp and https://www.ewtn.com/library/PRIESTS/BENRULE.HTM
Prologue:
... We are beginning a school to serve the Lord [God]. We don’t want rules that are
severe or a burden. Some of them may seem difficult, but are intended to help those who
might have been acting wrongly or selfishly. Those men should not be afraid and run away,
because this is a path that will save them…
Chapter 2. What the abbot [monastery leader] should be like:
[The word “abbot” comes from “abba,” the word for “father” in Aramaic, the
language spoken by Jesus.] The abbot should not teach, or decree, or order, anything except
the commandments of the Lord [God]…
When any one receives the name of abbot, he ought to rule over his followers with a
double teaching; that is, let him show all good and holy things by deeds more than by words.
He shall treat every person in the monastery equally. One person shall not be more
valued than another, unless it is one whom he finds excelling in good works or in obedience.
A free-born man shall not be preferred to one coming from slavery… for whether we be bond
or free, we are all one in Christ; and, under one God, we perform an equal service…
…let the abbot display the feeling of a severe yet devoted master. In other words, he
should rebuke more severely the unruly and the troublemakers. On the other hand, he should
encourage the obedient, gentle and patient ones, so they may progress to higher things. The
negligent and scorners should be reprimanded and scolded...
17 Medieval Monastic Life Page 3
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_Saint_Benedict#/media/File:St._Benedict_delivering_his_rule_to_the_monks_
of_his_order.jpg (below)
◄ St. Benedict delivering his rule to the
monks of his order, illustration from
Monastery of St. Gilles, Nimes, France, 1129.
In northern England (Yorkshire) are
the well-preserved ruins of Fountains
Abbey, founded in 1132 CE. It was in
use until 1539, when King Henry VIII
ordered that all monasteries under his
rule be dissolved, as part of his dispute
with the Church in Rome. A plan and
drawing of this monastery are on the
next two pages.
Identify and list relationships between
the setting and the description of
monastic life (action patterns and
shared ideas) described by St.
Benedict. Identify features of the setting related to boundary maintenance
(Note that excerpts from the Rule of St. Benedict continue. See page 6 and beyond.)
Chapter 3. About calling in the monks for council:
Whenever something unusual and important is to be done in the monastery, the abbot
shall call together the whole community, and shall explain the problem to be solved. Once he
has heard the advice of the brothers, he shall think it over by himself, and shall do what he
considers most helpful.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fountains_Abbey
Page 4 Investigating World History
Fountains Abbey: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fountains_Abbey Na
ve:
Mai
n s
ecti
on
of
a ch
urc
h o
r ca
thed
ral,
wit
h s
eati
ng
or
stan
din
g
spac
e fo
r pu
bli
c w
ors
hip
per
s
Ch
oir
: A
rea
of
the
chu
rch
wit
h s
eati
ng
fo
r p
ries
ts,
mo
nk
s, a
nd
sin
ger
s
Tra
nse
pt:
Sec
tio
n o
f th
e ch
urc
h b
uil
din
g,
at r
igh
t an
gle
to
nav
e ax
is
Ch
ap
ter
ho
use
: M
eeti
ng
hal
l fo
r m
on
ks
Clo
iste
r:
Sec
lud
ed c
ov
ered
wal
k,
som
etim
es o
pen
on
on
e si
de
to a
n
inte
rio
r co
urt
yar
d
Fra
ter h
ou
se:
Din
ing
hal
l fo
r m
on
ks
Ho
spit
ium
: G
ues
t h
ou
se
Ref
ecto
ry:
Mai
n d
inin
g h
all,
use
d w
hen
gu
ests
wer
e p
rese
nt
(Ro
om
mar
ked
“K
” w
as K
itch
en)
Bu
tter
y:
Sto
rero
om
, p
rim
aril
y f
or
win
e (n
ot
use
d f
or
dai
ry p
rodu
cts)
Infi
rma
ry:
Pla
ce f
or
cari
ng f
or
sick
peo
ple
Gre
at
Clo
iste
r:
Co
ver
ed w
alk
way
wit
h d
orm
ito
ry f
or
on
e cl
ass
of
mo
nk
s
(“la
y b
roth
ers”
) ab
ov
e, s
tore
roo
ms
bel
ow
.
La
trin
es:
(No
t m
ark
ed)
Are
a ea
st o
f th
e F
rate
r H
ou
se, n
ear
the
riv
er.
17 Medieval Monastic Life Page 5
.
http://www.heritage-explorer.co.uk/web/he/searchdetail.aspx?id=9229&large=1
Page 6 Investigating World History
Note: Verses 1 and 2, above are “the greatest commandments” stated by Jesus (Matthew 22:36-
40). Verse 9 is the “golden rule” which appears, in some form, in many “wisdom”
documents from many cultures.
Chapter 4. Rules for doing good:
1. First of all, love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with
all your strength. 2. Then, love your neighbor as yourself. … 9. Don’t do to another person
what you wouldn’t do to yourself.
10. Avoid selfishness so you can follow Christ. 11. Discipline your body. 12. Don’t
seek after luxuries. 13. Love fasting [i.e. doing without food for a period of time]. 14. Help
the poor. 15. Clothe the naked. 16. Visit the sick. 17. Bury the dead. …19. Console the
sorrowing.
21. Prefer nothing except love for Christ. 22. Don’t act from urges of anger. 23. Don’t
seek revenge…
28. Utter the truth with heart and lips. 29. Don’t give back evil for evil. 30. Do no
wrong to anyone, but bear patiently any wrong done to yourself. 31. Love your enemies.
32. If someone says bad things about you, don’t say bad things about them in return,
but instead speak well of them. 33. Suffer persecution for justice' sake. 34. Don’t be proud.
35. Don’t be a lover of wine. 36. Don’t be a glutton. 37. Don’t be a lover of sleep. 38. Don’t
be lazy. 39. Don’t be a gossip. 40. Don’t be disrespectful of others.
41. Put your trust in God. 42. Credit any good you see in yourself to God and not to
yourself. 43. But always admit that the evil in you is your own, and blame it on yourself.
44. Fear the days of [God’s final] judgment. 45. Be terrified of hell. 46. Desire
everlasting life with all spiritual longing.
51. Keep your mouth from speech that is wicked or sneaky. 52. Don’t love to talk. 53.
Don’t speak words that are boastful or cause laughter. 54. Don’t love long or loud laughter.
55. Listen willingly to holy reading. 56. Pray often. 57. Every day, with tears and
sighs, confess your sins to God in prayer, and avoid these evils in the future. 58. Don’t fulfill
the desires of the body. 59. Hate your own will. 60. Obey in all things the commands of the
Abbot…
64. Hate no man. 65. Have no jealousy or envy. 66. Don’t love conflict.
68. Revere your seniors. 69. Love your juniors. 70. Pray for your enemies in the love
of Christ. 71. Make peace with those with whom you are upset or angry before the sun sets.
72. And never doubt God's mercy.
17 Medieval Monastic Life Page 7
The procedures for becoming an insider in a social system is sometimes called a “rite of
passage” by social scientists. The rite of passage for monks is described in the next section
of the Rule of St. Benedict.
Chapter 23. Excommunication [excluding a person from the community] for faults:
If any brother is found to resist authority, or is disobedient, or proud, or a gossip, or in
any way opposed to the Holy Rule and the orders of his seniors, or is disrespectful, let him,
according to our Lord's commandment, be scolded once or twice privately by his seniors. If
he does not change his ways, let him be rebuked in public in front of everyone. But if even
then he does not correct himself, let him be subjected to excommunication, if he understands
the nature of that punishment. If excommunication will not be effective, subject him to
corporal [bodily, physical] punishment. [Chapters that follow indicate that excommunication
was usually temporary, and included punishment such as being made to eat alone, and not
allowing others to speak to the excommunicated person.]
Chapter 33. Whether the monks should have anything of their own:
This evil must be completely eliminated from the monastery: no one should try to
give or receive anything without the order of the abbot, or should have anything of his own.
A monk should have absolutely nothing: neither a book, nor tablets, nor a pen—nothing at
all.
For indeed the monks are not allowed to have their own bodies or wills in their own
power. All things necessary they must expect from the Father of the monastery… All things
shall be common to all… But if anyone is discovered delighting in this most evil practice:
being warned once and again, if he does not correct his wrong, let him be subjected to
punishment.
Chapter 48. Concerning daily manual labor:
Idleness is the enemy of the soul. And therefore, at fixed times, the brothers ought to
be occupied in manual labor; and again, at fixed times, in sacred reading. ... one or two elders
shall be appointed, who shall go round the monastery at the hours in which the brothers are
busy in reading, and see to it that no troublesome brother is doing nothing or is doing
something trivial instead of concentrating on his reading. Such a brother is useless to himself,
and be a bad influence on others.
Page 8 Investigating World History
Chapter 58. The method for receiving brothers:
When any newcomer applies for conversion [to become a monk], do not give him an
easy entrance. As the apostle [John] says, "Try the spirits to see if they be of God." Before he
is allowed to enter, he must keep knocking at the gate, and for four or five days must
patiently endure the insults inflicted upon him. He must endure the difficulty of coming in,
and persist in his demand.
He shall then remain for a few days in the cell of the guests. After this, he shall be in
the cell of the novices [beginners], where he shall meditate and eat and sleep. An elder shall
be assigned to him who shall be capable of saving souls, who watches over him intently, and
makes sure he reverently seeks God, is eager in serving God, is obedient, and suffers shame.
All the harshness and roughness of the procedures for approaching God [becoming a monk]
shall be told him in advance.
If he promises to persist in his dedication, after two months this Rule [of St. Benedict]
shall be read to him in order, and he shall be told, “Behold the law under which you wish to
serve; if you agree to follow it willingly, enter; but if you cannot, depart freely.” If he has
stood firm so far, then he shall be led once more into a cell of the novices; and again be
proven with all patience.
After six months, the Rule shall be read to him again; so he may know what he is
joining. If he stands firm so far, after four more months the same Rule shall again be re-read
to him. And if, having thinking it over, he shall promise to follow the Rule, and to obey all
the commands that are laid upon him, then he shall be received in the congregation. He must
understand that it is decreed, by the law of the Rule, that from that day he shall not be
allowed to leave the monastery. He cannot shake his neck free from the yoke of the Rule,
which, after such extended deliberation, he was free either to refuse or accept.
Chapter 66. Porter of the monastery:
A wise brother of mature age shall be assigned to the gate of the monastery; one who
is able to understand and reply in all matters, and one whose self-control will keep him from
wandering. This porter is to have his cell near the gate, so anyone who comes there may
always find someone present to respond. When anyone knocks or a poor person begs for
charity, he shall answer, "Thanks be to God," or, "God bless you"; and then, with gentle
respect for God, let him quickly respond in the spirit of charity. If the porter needs assistance,
let him have with him one of the younger brothers.
The monastery, if it is possible, ought to be constructed so all things necessary—such
as water, a mill, a garden, a bakery, and the various workshops—are contained within it, so
there will be no need for the monks to go away, for this is not at all healthful for their souls.
We wish this Rule to be read frequently in the community, so none of the brothers
may excuse himself, claiming ignorance.
17 Medieval Monastic Life Page 9
Based on your study of monastic society, describe an abbey’s boundaries in setting
(physical boundaries), action patterns, and shared ideas. Which of the three kinds of
boundaries is most important, in your opinion? Give reasons for your answer.
How might the level of difficulty of a rite of passage affect the member’s allegiance to
the group? (Do you think a painful rite would make a new member less dedicated, or
more dedicated to the group?)
Describe the attitude of St. Benedict and the monks to the outside world, and the
relationship of this attitude to the formation of monasteries.
Investigation: System Boundaries Here and Now
Becoming a new member of almost every group or society requires a rite of passage of
some sort.
Identify and describe (in your journal) the rites of passage associated with (1) a local
club or other organization for young people (2) a religious organization (3) your nation.
Include in your description the ideas, rules, or action patterns related to maintaining
boundaries between insiders and outsiders.
Describe experiences that might be considered rites of passage for young people to
become adults in your own society.
Chapter 67. Brothers sent on a journey:
Let the brothers who are about to be sent on a journey be supported by the prayers of
all the brothers or of the Abbot. At all times, at the end of the Divine Office [period of prayer
and worship; see “Canonical Hours” below], all who are absent must be remembered in
prayer.
Brothers that return from a journey shall, that same day, lie face down on the floor of
the oratory [meeting hall] at the end of each of the Canonical Hours [set times at three-hour
intervals throughout the day and night for prayer and worship] and beg the prayers of all for
their sins, in case they may have seen or heard something evil, or may have fallen into idle
talk on their journey. And let no one tell others what he may have seen or heard outside the
monastery, for this is often a pitfall of destruction. If anyone does this, subject him to the
regular penalty. Anyone who leaves the enclosure of the monastery or goes out anywhere or
does anything, however small, without the permission of the Abbot, shall be similarly
punished.
Page 10 Investigating World History
17 Medieval Monastic Life Page 11
For Teacher/Mentor—Overview:
This unit was first developed by Ignacio Carral as part of his Spanish-language world
history course. A re-review (June 2016) of the primary sources he used here indicated
their potential to show additional dynamics of social systems not previously investigated
in this course.
Boundary maintenance is a crucial process in virtually all human groups. Groups require
stability—i.e. resistance to destructive change—to survive, and the need drives the
development of the group’s actions related to its boundary. From street gangs to nations,
keeping the distinction between insiders and outsiders is an important dimension of social
system members’ thoughts and actions.
This subject, particularly the “rite of passage” aspect, is, of course, closely related to the
process of socialization considered in Unit 10 (Sparta). Socialization creates boundaries,
as do social controls and defensive actions. For a nation, boundary maintenance is far
more complicated than merely controlling borders, guarding coasts, and processing aliens
to make them citizens. It includes educating the young, conducting diplomacy,
maintaining armed forces, and more—often at great cost or with great difficulty. The
objective of the unit is helping learners identify and understand the significance of
actions and ideas related to maintaining social system boundaries.
Investigation: Boundary Maintenance in a Medieval Monastery
The shared idea underlying the development of monasticism was the view that the “world”
was corrupt and evil, that holy living required withdrawal from its influences, and constant
guard to avoid evil, personified by Satan. (These ideas were reinforced with the spread of
St. Augustine’s The City of God, written early in the 5th century.) Given this worldview,
the medieval monastery becomes a superb vehicle to illustrate social system boundary
maintenance. The monastic worldview, and its consequences for behavior, are illustrated
clearly in the primary sources in this unit—the Rule of St. Benedict and the setting of
Fountains Abbey in Yorkshire, England.
Wikipedia: “Beyond its religious influences, the Rule of St Benedict was one of the most
important written works to shape medieval Europe, embodying the ideas of a written
constitution and the rule of law. It also incorporated a degree of democracy in a non-
democratic society, and dignified manual labor.”1
To limit the amount of reading material in the unit, it was necessary to leave out many
parts of the Benedictine Rule also related in one way or another to boundaries. Our
intention is to give enough information to provide a “capsule” view of monastic life, as
well as depicting its concern with boundary maintenance. As with similar amounts of data
elsewhere, with some groups of younger learners, you may wish to divide the data
between work groups so each group focuses on part of the data, then reports their
conclusions to the entire group.
Entering search words “Fountains Abbey Yorkshire” into Google Earth® will provide an
aerial view of the ruins, along with access to a hundred or so photos taken by visitors, if
1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_Saint_Benedict
Page 12 Investigating World History
learners want to investigate this setting more completely. Make sure learners keep the
main categories of the Model in mind; the close relationship between setting and shared
ideas is illustrated with great clarity in this site plan.
One aspect of monastic life not made clear by the Rule is how the monks were provided
food, clothing, and other commodities. In many or most cases, farmland owned by the
abbey provided food, worked either by the monks themselves, by abbey-bound serfs, paid
workers, or some combination of the three. (This subject was touched on in the previous
unit.) Abbeys were often supported by wealthy benefactors, by taxes or fees paid by
outsiders under abbey control or influence, or by the sale of abbey-produced surplus goods
or materials. The first illustration in this unit, “Monk buying parchment,” illustrates a
situation where interaction with an outsider was necessary to obtain a monastic
commodity.
In later medieval years, “physical labor” of monks was sometimes replaced by tasks such
as copying manuscripts, teaching, caring for the sick (often a prime duty of nuns), and
similar tasks. However, the honoring of physical labor allowed monks to participate and
excel in almost any endeavor, such as architecture and building cathedrals—a high point
in medieval achievement. Advances in agriculture were also an outcome of Benedictine
Rule related to labor.
The emphasis in the Rule on daily times for reading had a profound impact on the one type
of monastic work. All that reading required reading material. Under medieval conditions
before printing presses, this led to a huge effort hand-copying scriptures and religious
texts, to supply the monastic library with adequate materials. The result was that
monasteries were intellectual lights that glowed through the so-called “dark ages,” giving
a foundation for later recovery of general intellectual life.
An interesting aspect of the subject of boundary maintenance worth discussing with
thoughtful learners, particularly as applied to monasteries, is the question of adaptation to
changing social conditions. The monastic social system was designed to avoid outside
influences, and maintain stability—almost to an extreme. However, outside conditions
such as famine, epidemic disease such as the “black death,” invasion by “barbarians,” and
similar events often affected monasteries. Some survived adverse conditions, some didn’t.
For advanced learners, an interesting additional document:
http://legacy.fordham.edu/Halsall/source/chart-cluny.asp
Investigation: System Boundaries Here and Now
This should be a relatively-easy investigation, with some data from the learners’ own
experience, and other data easily available.
(HLB) June 2016